Pioneer holds grand opening for New Madrid plant

NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Pioneer Hi-Bred executives celebrated the grand opening of their $60 million soybean production plant in New Madrid on Friday.

"This new soybean production plant is a tremendous asset to the entire Pioneer organization," said Alejandro Munoz, vice president of Americas and Global Production. "This state-of-the-art facility is the largest production plant we have in the world."

The facility, on 129 acres near Interstate 55, begins operations this month as the area soybean harvest gets underway.

"Agriculture is a growing industry to be in right now and we're pleased that Pioneer is bringing jobs to the area," Munoz said.

The plant employs more than 65 people and may hire more to handle peak operational needs.

"Pioneer is investing in Missouri and in our state's workforce, and I'm glad the state of Missouri could be a partner in this important project for the region's economy," Gov. Jay Nixon said. "We're committed to creating good jobs for this region and sending a clear signal to the world that when it comes to the bioscience sector, Missouri means business."

The grand opening included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours of the plant.

"This new facility is vital as we continue to invest in resources that deliver value to our growers," said Judd O'Connor, vice president, regional business director-U.S. "The increased capacity this plant delivers will strengthen our ability to meet the increasing product needs of our growers."

Construction on the plant, which is the first Pioneer seed production facility in Missouri, began in May 2010. The facility will primarily serve soybean growers in the southern United States.

Pioneer also has a research facility for corn, soybean, sorghum and wheat seed in Miami, Mo.

Pertinent address:

New Madrid, MO